A portrait project focusing on concussion in sport
For the Love of the Game
Aims:
- To promote awareness, education, and understanding of concussion
- To speak truth in a public space
- To encourage better paths to recovery and safe return to play protocols
- Especially in children
- Whose brains are still developing
- Who are more vulnerable to injury
- Who have weaker neck muscles
- UK schools do not trust the Rugby Football Union in regards to concussion
- Especially in children
Sports Journalist
Sam Peters
AwardsWinner, UK Sports Book Award for Outstanding Sports Writing Concussed (2024)Shortlisted, William Hill Sports Book of the Year (2023)Shortlisted, Investigative Journalist of the Year, SJA Awards (2017)Runner- up, Rugby Writer of the Year, SJA Awards (2017)Named, World’s Five Most Influential Media Figures, Rugby World (2017)Shortlisted, Sports Journalist of the Year, UK Press Gazette Awards (2014)
Veteran/ Photographer
Andy Barnham
AwardsRoyal Photographic Society: Shortlist, IPE (2023, 2026)Prix Pictet: Nominated for the Human Cycle (2023)Prix de la Photographie, Paris (2022)Monochrome Awards (2022)ND Awards (2022)Tokyo International Foto Awards (2022, 2024)
To reach a new audience
Photography as a medium
- Use of photography
- To humanise the impact of concussion
- With dignity and respect to the participants
- Reach audience via,
- Gallery exhibitions
- Panel discussions
- Academic conferences
- National and local press
Did you know? A professional rugby player experiences approximate 15, 000 head contacts per season.
Timeline
Key dates
Concussion can occur in all sports
Cricket
Tom Kohler- Cadmore (English), was unable to regulate his heart rate and required four months to return to play after concussion.
Football
Billy Vigar (English), sustained a severe brain injury after colliding with a wall by the side of the pitch, was placed in an induced coma but died.
Cross country skiing
Linn Svahn (Swedish), required five months to return to training after concussion and continued to suffer symptoms a year later.
Motor sport
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (American), forced to retire due to an estimated 20+ concussions during his NASCAR career.
Did you know? Since rugby turned professional in 1996 concussion has risen more than 600%.
The project includes:
Players
Kat Merchant
Capped 58 times by England, forced to retire from rugby due to concussion aged 28 years old.
Lewis Moody MBE
Capped 71 times by England, a member of the 2003 RWC winning team, diagnosed with MND aged 46 years old.
Alix Popham
Capped 33 times by Wales and diagnosed with early onset dementia aged 40 years old.
Sports science, doctors and coaches
Prof Mike Loosemore MBE
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England and Team GB at multiple Commonwealth and Olympic Games.
Barry O’Driscoll
Former Ireland rugby union player and doctor and medical advisor to the International Rugby Board (IRB).
Sir Clive Woodward OBE
Former England rugby union player and coach of the winning England team at the 2003 RWC.
Grass roots, family and loved ones
Nic O'Leary
Severe brain injury aged 16 years old playing rugby from two concussions during a single match.
Andrew Watkins
Best friend died by suicide believed to be linked to 11 concussions sustained during his rugby career.
Melanie Bramwell- Popham
Wife to rugby player Alix Popham and founding Trustee of the charity Head for Change.
By professional sports
The claim
Player welfare is at the heart of everything. They are at the forefront of concussion initiatives. There is no proven link between repetitive head injures, CTE, and other neuro degenerative conditions when the common denominator is concussion.
The challenge
Contradiction between player welfare and commercial interests. Neuro degenerative diseases can take years to manifest. Concussion activities often funded by governing bodies, or by those with vested interests, and not independent
Of former players
Mental health
- The claims of the professional bodies result in:
- Isolating former players
- Removes responsibility away from professional bodies
- As a result, victims of head injuries:
- Feel alone and unsupported
- Often do not speak out against the sport due to friends and relationships still active in that sport
- Research shows former professional rugby players at higher risk of suicide than wider population
Did you know? The brain is 1/50 of your body mass and consumes 20–25% of the body's total oxygen supply.
Funding to cover
Travel and accommodation
To include additional participants in additional sports.
Printing and framing
In order to be able to exhibit the project.
Also
To print a project catalog.
Short listed
Portraits from the project have been short listed by the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) in their yearly International Photography Exhibition (IPE). The RPS was founded in 1853 and is one of the world’s oldest photographic societies and the IPE is the world’s longest-running contemporary photography exhibition. This iteration, IPE 167, saw a guest panel shortlist anonymously 318 photographers from 41 countries from over 10,000 entries.
